New Perspectives on Computer Concepts 2013: Comprehensive 15th Edition by June Jamrich Parsons,Dan Oja

Exercise 31

Watch your computer while it boots, and then revise the list so that it reflects what happens when your computer boots.
Power up. When you turn on the power switch, the power light is illuminated, and power is distributed to the computer circuitry.
Start boot program. The microprocessor begins to execute the bootstrap program that is stored in ROM.
Power-on self-test. The computer performs diagnostic tests of several crucial system components.
Identify peripheral devices. The computer identifies the peripheral devices that are connected and checks their settings.
Load operating system. The operating system is copied from the hard disk to RAM.
Check configuration and customization. The microprocessor reads configuration data and executes any customized startup routines specified by the user.